Lilo and Stitch: Educational Activities and Games for 2 to 5 Year Olds

Let's face it, kids love movies, but it's been proven that they should watch no more than 2 hours of TV a day. So why not combine their love of a movie and activities that will help them learn and grow? Following are suggestions for the movie Lilo and Stitch released in 2002. These activities would also work well for preschool classes and party games for this age group.

Watch the movie

Let your kids watch the show while you prepare the activities for the rest of the day or attend to other responsibilities.

All about the Music

In Lilo and Stitch Elvis is Lilo's favorite musician. Encourage your child's love of music through these activities. Play some fun music and show your child how to jump, roll on the floor, shake all over and any other movements you can think of. Doing activities like this helps you child develop coordination. Give your child a scarf, bandana or ribbon to dance with. Show them how to throw it in the air, and move it around in circles. Let your child join in on the music by giving him pots and pans to bang on. A wooden spoon makes a great drumstick.

Read a Book

The Ugly Duckling is a book that is featured in the movie Lilo and Stitch. Read this with your child. Talk about the pictures, and ask your child questions about the story. There are other related stories that you could also read and talk about with your child. Following are a few suggestions:

• The Best Hawaiian Style Mother Goose Ever: Hawaii's Version of 14 Very Popular Versesby Kevin Sullivan and Deb Aoki
• A Fishy Alphabet in Hawaii by Lesley Ann Hayashi and Kathleen Wong Bishop
• Aliens For Dinner (Stepping Stone, paper) by Stephanie Spinner and Steve Bjorkman
• Ten Little Elvi by Laura Henson, Duffy Grooms, and Dean Gorissen

Arts and Crafts Time

Lilo loves to draw. Give your child some paper and crayons and let them create some masterpieces. Lilo also likes to take pictures and make collages of them. Provide your child with some old magazines and cut out pictures the like to make a collage. If you child is younger than 4 you will most likely have to help them cut out the pictures. Glue the pictures to a piece of cardstock.

Have a Luau

Have traditional Hawaiian foods for lunch or dinner such as pork with rice, fresh pineapple, papayas and mangoes. Listen to Hawaiian music, dress up in a grass skirt and lais. There is even a section in the bonus features of Lilo and Stitch that teaches you a hula dance.